ABSTRACT This is a request to support the 2017 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and associated Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Cartilage Biology and Pathology, which will be held in Il Ciocco, Italy, from April 2-7, 2017. The GRC will be the eighth in a series of highly successful biennial conferences, and it will be preceded for the second time by a GRS, a pre-meeting exclusively dedicated to and organized by trainees. The GRC on Cartilage Biology and Pathology owes its success to three major principles. First, it is the only conference that brings together clinicians-scientists, basic-science researchers and biomedical engineers, and covers the whole spectrum of cartilage biology, associated pathologies and scientific disciplines relevant to cartilage. Second, and exemplifying the GRC tradition, the conference emphasizes forward thinking, unpublished cutting- edge findings, and state-of-the-art technologies. It alternates formal presentations with poster sessions and informal discussions, and limits attendance to 200 participants. It is a forum that promotes collegial interactions and the establishment of productive collaborations. Third, it is open to researchers at all career stages and encourages mentoring, networking, and collaborations among aspirant, young and senior investigators. This last principle was further emphasized in 2015 with the addition of a GRS, which was highly successful. The overwhelming majority of participants voted to hold a second GRS, in conjunction with the 2017 GRC. The GRC/GRS on Cartilage Biology and Pathology are justified not merely by the fact that cartilage is a pivotal skeletal tissue from development to adulthood, but even more so by the fact that cartilage malformation and degeneration diseases affect the lifespan and quality of life of a large proportion of humans. Moreover, cartilage diseases remain largely incurable, largely due to our incomplete understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of these diseases. Research to better understand the causes and progression of cartilage diseases and to find strategies to reverse and ultimately eradicate them, is thus a top priority. In order to help change the clinical reality of cartilage diseases, the GRC will highlight recent advances and challenges in understanding cartilage diseases. The overarching theme of the GRC is entitled ?Understanding biology to achieve better cartilage health.? Eminent scientists and promising young investigators will stimulate the audience according to this theme and will present the newest advances and remaining challenges towards understanding the various aspects of cartilage biology, disease types, and translational approaches. We expect the 2017 GRC/GRS on Cartilage Biology and Pathology to empower researchers across disciplines to make milestone progress towards improving the health of humans with all types of cartilage diseases, and thus fulfill the missions of the National Institutes of Health.